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FOOTBALL
RECRUITING 2007-08

Coach: Tommy Bowden

2008 Clemson Signees:.

Recent Recruiting Rankings (By Rivals.com): No. 22, No. 67, No. 53, No. 17, No. 15, No. 16 under Bowden from 2002-07.

Consensus 2008 Prep All-Americans: NC S Spencer Adams, NC TE Dwayne Allen, SC DE DaQuan Bowers, SC RB Andre Ellington, FL RB Jamie Harper, SC WR Marquan Jones, AL OL Antoine McClain, SC OL Kenneth Page, GA DT Brandon Thompson.

Interesting Story: Quarterback signee Jon Richt is the son of Georgia coach Mark Richt. Despite the regional rivalry between Clemson and Georgia on the field and on the recruiting trail, Richt joined his son for multiple visits with the Clemson coaching staff from Jon’s commitment in February 2007 up to national signing day. The elder Richt and Clemson associate head coach Brad Scott, his son’s lead recruiter on behalf of the Tigers, worked together under Bobby Bowden at Florida State during the Seminoles’ heyday in the 1990s.

Top 2008 Recruiters: Tight ends coach Billy Napier has proven himself as a highly effective recruiter in the state of North Carolina for the Tigers in recent classes. This year, Napier led the charge in the recruitment of safety Spencer Adams, one of the state’s top all-around athletes, who also stars in track and field. Napier also was the lead recruiter for standout Georgia defensive tackle Brandon Thompson, who committed to Clemson over schools including Florida State, LSU, Georgia, Ohio State and Tennessee. Associate head coach/offensive line coach Brad Scott was critical in helping Clemson secure arguably one of the top line classes in the ACC this year, as he led the Tigers in the recruitment of the top two blockers in the Palmetto State — Dalton Freeman of Pelion and Kenneth Page from Columbia. Scott also was the lead recruiter for Florida offensive lineman Matt Sanders, in-state prep All-American wide receiver Marquan Jones, and Georgia quarterback Jon Richt. Linebackers coach/recruiting coordinator David Blackwell was the lead recruiter for two highly sought-after in-state prospects: running back Andre Ellington of Moncks Corner and wide receiver Brandon Ford of Hanahan. He also aided in the recruitment of two talented outside linebacker prospects, in-stater Stanley Hunter and Tarik Rollins from Florida.

States Represented (6): Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, North Dakota (junior college), South Carolina.

Academic Worries: some, including Antoine McClain.

Key Misses: NC OL R.J. Mattes (N.C. State), TE ATH Chris Jordan (Alabama), FL ATH T’Sharvan Bell (Auburn), GA RB Dontavius Jackson (Georgia), GA OL A.J. Harmon (Georgia).

Quotable Quotes: "We had a good class, regardless of what happened today. Some people had us fourth, regardless of what had happened today. We’ve been in situations like this before, but to have seven on the table and we get six (on signing day), it doesn’t happen very often. It did happen this year."
— Clemson coach Tommy Bowden

Clemson Football Recruiting Articles (Links):

"Best of the South" article on Spencer Adams — Tampa Tribune

Spencer Adams commitment feature — ESPN.com

Dwayne Allen feature — Fayetteville Observer

Clemson recruiting breakdown — Sports Illustrated

Jamie Harper signing feature — Florida Times-Union

Daniel Andrews commitment article — Spartanburg Herald-Journal

Recruiting: Spencer Benton enrolls at Clemson — Myrtle Beach Sun-News

DaQuan Bowers "Best in class" feature — Columbia State

DaQuan Bowers article — Orangeburg Times-Democrat

Jacksonville-Clemson recruiting pipeline story — Columbia State

Jaron Brown feature — Columbia State

Jaron Brown signing feature — Columbia State

Jarrett Crittenton feature — Charlotte Observer

Jamie Harper/Dwayne Allen signing feature — WTLX.com

Andre Ellington game story — Charleston Post and Courier

Brandon Ford feature — Charleston Post and Courier

Dalton Freeman signing feature — Columbia State

Rashard Hall feature — St. Augustine Record

Jamie Harper signing article/video — First Coast News

Stanley Hunter feature — Greenville News

Marquan Jones recognition — South Carolina General Assembly

Marquan Jones feature — Sports Illustrated

Marquan Jones feature — Greenville News

Meet Clemson’s Class of 2008 — Columbia State

Antoine McClain signing article — Birmingham News

Antoine McClain signing feature — Anniston Star

Kenneth Page commitment video — Columbia State

Kenneth Page feature — Columbia State

Kyle Parker commitment article — MSNBC.com

Jon Richt feature — Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Jon Richt signing feature — Athens Banner-Herald

Jon Richt signing feature — Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Clemson January enrollee feature — Spartanburg Herald-Journal

Brandon Thompson commitment article — WALB News 10

Brandon Thompson feature — Thomasville Times-Enterprise